Death Penalty and IQ Tests in Trials
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65
The IQ test administered by “psychological experts” under oath is now an instrument of criminal law. IQ tests may decide whether a man lives or dies, and as such they are debatable. In the United States, the use of IQ tests in trials is spreading: from a simple assessment of abilities, they have developed into a personality test for the defendant, to the point where they evaluate his or her dangerousness. Since the Atkins v. Commonwealth of Virginia case, it is strictly forbidden in the United States to execute someone suffering from an intellectual disability, and therefore courts engage psychologists to determine whether the defendant suffers from any. A test result under 70 will save the defendant, whereas with more than 70 an execution may be ruled. In France, too, trials at the cour d’assises commonly involve such practices.
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